Control valve



CONTROL VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 20, 1949 ffar' ly. l

Oct. 13, 1953 H. J. DuNKELow 2,655,167

CONTROL VALVE Filed Sept. 20, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pw 1*' 2h 22 '90W/ma covmal val. vf

ZJ /l Hive/755 j zzz/m Patented Oct. 13, 1953 JCompany, Racine, W

Wis., assigner to is., fa

oorporationeo'f Wisconsin Application September 20, 1949, SenialNo..116,665

A 5 llams.

'My tinvention 'relates to a control valve ariel morepartcularly to .a iieviee v'forsele'etivelycontrolling the operation "of a plurality "of hydraulically actuated clutches.

While having `'universal application, 'the valve i will "be iescribed in connection with 'a marine "geariincludine forward and reverse drives lwhich fare'respectively conditioned for operaticn'by 'for- Tvar'i and reverse, hydraulically 'operateclutones which are selectively controlled, the working liquid being an oil. A characteristic "arrange- 'in'ent of this'n'oturei's idisclosed 'in 'U. S. Letters Patent No. 23164;5'38.

ione objectofthe invention is to 'devise a cony trol'valvewhose position not only'determines the 'engagement of either cltch Yor a neutral posi- Vtion oifibothfclutche's, but i's'also"characterized'by a pressure regulating 'action which 'insures the application o'an adequate Apressure't'o 'the en- A *frth'er object "is `to provide -avalveo the eharae'terimiicateclwhich, when'occupyingfaiorwere "or reverse -drive ,position will prevent the application di hydraulic `pressure "to the corre- 'spending 'clutch until such `pressure attains a WIIII "f/a11'l.

'futher obiect is top'rovide avalve asset "forth above whichlmay be conditioneltoi'iirect pressureoilroin the pump'tothe engaged-clutch and displaced oil from the disengaged'cltch to a 'S'l-ip.

further object is`to provide a .valve-which will hold' a ,p'ostve., 'neutral .position While Subj ected to`the`ull`wok'ing pressure and which Visfurher ineffective topasslanyjpfessure where 'insu'icint lo lletth'eoperating' demands. n

'Thse 'andfl'lrth'l bj'ec'ts 'o'f the invelton will be setorth inthe following specification, referbeing had "to the 'accompanying drawings, and the "novel -m'e'an's "by 'which :said 'ObeC'ts are ffec'uatei Lwill 4be 'deinitel'y 'polli-ted out in the claims Y Llig. il is aAsectionalielevation'fof the valve'in neutral lposition 'fan'd -reitiier Three from oil pressure 'for VFsu'loi'ected :to an inadequate pressure Fig-2 is Aa viewsimilar t'ofFig. :1f-'but showing the valve fshiftedeby-:theoil pressureto a position from {which-it-may berotated-.todirectoil toiany one of a .pluralityof -.-outlets or delivery ports.

VFigf isan end .view-.of the vvalvelooleing inthe direction ofthe arrow `3"in 1.

iF'ig. v5 @is -a "se'ti'on'al'ong "the lineLS in ".Ffig. T2, but showing the'valve rotatedto connect'theinlet (Cl. '13k-i102) port-,with 4one delivery'port and theother iielivery port With 'an exhaust port.

Fig.'6"`is 'a section alongthe 1ine"'S-'6"in"Fig. l.

.Fi`g."7 is a schematic view 'showinghy way 'of 'example the relation of the valv'e to a pair f clutch 'actuating cylinders.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral T0 designate'sa valve casing having anirilet'pot Il which 'communicates with oneien'doi a'cylirdrical chamber 'f2 whose opposite VYend `"is closed "by 'a oeverplate l 3.. The inletpor't 4end ofithetcasing l einaybe fle ng'ed for attachment-.teca geargpump ld'xvhose' outlet I 5 registers `vviththe inlet .p'ot l 'I and 'whose inlet may be "connected to asum'p 'I1 "(see Fign forming 'part ofa marineigean for example. The .pump (r4 ris `generally representative ofany source-of `oilunkierpressure,

The .casing I0 also includes a pair of diame- "trally relate'ddelivery ports 'wand -I 9 which may berespectiv'ely conn'ec'tedt'oiorward and reverse clutch actuating cylinders "21) and? l 4that are "incoiporated in the marine vgear and are vop'era'bly related to hydraulically `actuatedolutr'zhes .(not shown) jbut 'disclosed in the `a'lcfove noteiijpa'tent. Also provided inthe casing isiapairof oppos'itely disposed, exhaust ports 'Z2- 22 .which are .coplanar'vvith and po'sitio ed .be'low 'the ports '158 andil, andan overil'ow or'bypa'sslport F23 located in'the'bottom of the Ycasing l and spaced axially th'ereolirom'the ports hl., Vllla`,nd"'22 The ports "22 andlS connectwith tllesuxnp'fl.

A piston valve 2i "is slidably ani rotatably mounted inthe .chamber "i2 andthe end thereof .ad'ja"cent"'the vinlet port VI1 is axially countebored 'atar'ldthe annular lip 2'6 formed vthereby is radially out 'in ytvvo locations 'to provide slots 21 'and '28 which, 'when the valve isin the neutral position Yshownin Figs. 1 and 4,5'lle above 'the 'ile-V livery p'orts V1 8 'and 1`9,.respectiv1y, and on opposite sides of the vertical axis o`f the -valve. partiannular groove'Z'B is outin'thepeiphery-of the valve 2'4' in generally coplanar andoverlapping relationtothe ports i8, "I 9 and 2'2 ,sudh'thah in any position o"f"`the valve-the groove '1219..pro- `vides communication V'between the y,ports ILB and VAIl!! and 22, 'orv selectivelybetween 1either port (Band *I9 'and the'vports vl2. In the neutral position 'of 'the valve 'Whether axially shifted or.no't., .asllu'strate'd in'Figs. v.1,"2'and 4, the ends ofY thefgroove ZlVreg'i'ster'withtheports l'-.and'lll whilet'he intermediate portion .of 'this groove communicates -vvith'the ports 22. lExtending axially Vinward of thevalve 2l `from the counterbore yis apoeket 30 Ywhich connects "by Way f a diametral passage 3| with ananliularch-annel 32 'in the periphery of the valve attachment to an operating handle 34. Between Y the plate I3 and the valve 24, a helical spring 35 encircles the stem 33 and is initially loaded to bias the valve in the position shown in Fig. 1, the

spring yielding when the desired pressure is established in the inlet port II. The handle 34 may occupy the neutral position shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, being shiftably held therein by a spring actuated detent 36 carried by the handleV whichA seats in a shallow socket 31 formed in the plate I3, or selectively may be shifted to the dotted positions 38 and 39 which, in the case of a marine gear, may correspond to the forward and reverse positions thereof. In the two latter positions, respectively, a linger 40 depending from the handle 34 engages lugs 4I and 42 on the plate I3 as limiting stops.

In describing the operation of the valve, it will be assumed that the handle 34 is in the neutral position and that there is either an absence of or an insufficient pressure in the inlet port I i. The parts then occupy the several positions shown in Figs. l and 4:, the delivery ports I8 and I9 being masked from the inlet port i i and communicating with the exhaust ports 22 so that the forward and reverse cylinders 2i) and 2! are free of oil pressure and the associated clutches are disengaged.

If now it is desired to engage the forward clutch, for example, the handle 34 may be immediately rotated to position 38, or this movement may be delayed until the valve 24 has been shifted axially by pressure in the inlet port II to the position shown in Fig. 2. In either case, after the valve has been shifted and rotated, or rotated and shifted as the case may be, its rotarial position is as shown in Fig. 5 in which the slot 21 registers with the delivery port I8, thereby connecting the inlet port Il with the forward cylinder 20 to engage the associated clutch, while the other delivery port i9 still communicates with the exhaust ports 22 through the groove 29 since the width of the latter is suicient to register with the ports 22 and at least one delivery port in any position of the valve. At the same time, the axial shifting of the valve, whether rotated in this position or not, connects the channel 32 with the overflow port 23 to thereby provide a relieving and pressure regulating flow through the valve as determined by the spring 35.

To again connect both delivery ports with the exhaust ports, i. e. the neutral position, the valve is rotated in the opposite direction to the position shown in Fig. l and if the pressure is still sufcient, the axial position of the valve is as shown in Fig. 2 wherein the relieving ow is discharged through the channel 32 and port 23, and the inlet port II is disconnected from both delivery ports I3 and IS. The actuation of the reverse cylinder 2| is achieved by rotating the valve 24 clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 4, and assuming a pressure shifting o1" the valve, the slot 28 then registers with the delivery port I9 while the delivery port I8 connects with the exhaust ports 22 through the groove 29.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the valve provides a positive neutral under full control pressure since this pressure does not tend the valve towards either of its engaging positions and that it combines a pressure regulating action with a capacity for selecting the flow direction of the controlled liquid through the valve. Further, rotating of the valve does not produce any useful result until after it has been shifted by an adequate pressure in the inlet port. This characteristic protects the associated clutches by preventing the admission of oil to the related cylinders 1 until this oil has attained a satisfactory pressure.

Hence, the clutches are engaged with a minimum of effort and with an absence of sluggishness.

I claim:

1. A control valve comprising a casing having 'an inlet port, a delivery port and an overflow port,

apressure regulating, piston valve member in the casing having one end exposed to pressure in the inlet port and including a pair of passages in the member, the valve being shifted endwise by pressure in the inlet port to connect the inlet port with the overflow port through one passage and manually rotated to connect the inlet and delivery ports through the other passage, the inlet and delivery ports being connected only after the completion of the endwise and rotary shifts of the member, and spring means biasing the member against the endwise shift until a predetermined pressure exists in the inlet port.

2. A control valve comprising a'casing having an inlet port, a pair of delivery ports and a pair of exhaust ports, a piston valve member in the casing having one end exposed to pressure in the inlet port and including a plurality of passages, the member being shifted endwise by pressure in the inlet port and manually rotatable to selectively connect the inlet port with one delivery port and the other delivery port with one of the exhaust ports through two of the passages, respectively, and including a simultaneous connection of each delivery port with an exhaust port through one of the passages in one selected position of the member, the inlet port and selected delivery port being connected only after the completion of the endwise and rotary shirts of the member, and spring means biasing the member against the endwise shift until a predetermined pressure exists in the inlet port.

3. A control valve comprising a casing having an inlet port, a pair of delivery ports, a pair of exhaust ports and an overflow port, a pressure regulating, piston valve member in the casn ing having one end exposed to pressure in the inlet port and including quadruple passages in the member, the member being shifted endwise by pressure in the inlet port to connect the inlet port with the overflow port through one passage and manually rotatable to selectively connect the inlet port with one delivery port through a second passage and the other delivery port with one of the exhaust ports through a third passage, to selectively connect the inlet port with said other delivery port through a fourth passage and said one delivery port with the other exhaust port through said third passage, and including a simultaneous connection of each delivery port with an exhaust port through the third passage in one selected position of the member, the inlet port and selected delivery port being connected only after the completion of the endwise and rotary shifts of the member, and spring means biasing the member against the endwise shift until a. predetermined pressure exists in the inlet port.

4. A control valve comprising a casing having an inlet port, a, pair of delivery ports and a pair of exhaust ports, a piston valve member in the casing having one end exposed to pressure in the inlet port and including a pair of passages, the member being shifted endwise by pressure in the inlet port and manually rotatable to selectively connect the inlet port with either delivery port While connecting the other delivery port with one of the exhaust ports through the passages, respectively, the inlet port and selected delivery port being connected only after the completion of the endwise and rotary shifts of the member, and spring means biasing the member against the endwise shift until a predetermined pressure exists in the inlet port.

5. A control valve comprising a casing having an inlet port, a pair of delivery ports, a pair of exhaust ports .and an overflow port, a pressure regulating, piston valve member in the casing having one end exposed to pressure in the inlet port and including quadruple passages in the member, the member being shifted endwise by pressure in the inlet port to connect the inlet port with the overflow port through one passage and manually rotatable to selectively connect the inlet port with one delivery port through a second passage and the other delivery port with one of the exhaust ports through a third passage, and to selectively connect the inlet port with said other delivery port through a fourth passage and said one delivery port with the other exhaust port through said third passage, the inlet port and selected delivery port being connected only .after the completion of the endwise and rotary shifts of the member, and spring means biasing the member against the endwise shift unti1 a. predetermined pressure exists in the inlet port.

HENRY J. DUNKELOW.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 477,706 Rymer June 28, 1892 1,138,187 Bridges May 4, 1915 1,357,294 McKee Nov. 2, 1920 1,809,938 Hohulin June 16, 1931 1,870,068 Roberts Aug. 2, 1932 1,902,231 Gurley Mar. 21, 1933 2,108,312 Holmes Feb. 15, 1938 

